Moment Towards Forever
by iBroken
Summary: SasuNaru Somehow, Sasuke remains in Konoha after retracting his curse seal. In order to protect both boys from their pursuers, Tsunade locks Naruto and Sasuke into an abandoned mansion somewhere in an untraceable part of Konoha. But, is the late owner of


**Moment Towards Forever**

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**Genre**: Paranormal/Romance

**Pairing**: SasuNaru, MinaMiko

**Rating**: M

**Summary**: [SasuNaru] Somehow, Sasuke remains in Konoha after retracting his curse seal. In order to protect both boys from their pursuers, Tsunade locks Naruto and Sasuke into an abandoned mansion somewhere in an untraceable part of Konoha. But, is the late owner of this mansion still lurking around?

**Warnings**: My only warning is major OOCness.

**Disclaimer: **Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. But I think Sasuke **persuaded** Masashi Kishimoto into letting him have his own show in _'Sasuke'_. So… it belongs to someone. But not Depressionist or Obsessionist.

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**Author's Notes: **Welcome to the next joint production by Depressionist-Obsessionist. This is based off of this radical idea that ghosts exist in old buildings. Depressionist and Obsessionist have different views on ghosts and spirits. They both wish to enlighten you on their… views.

**Obsessionist: **Ghosts and spirits are just what we think they are. They might just be our thoughts and fears put into an illusion, essentially becoming our reality. They may just be your notion. However, they do exist in this world, as long as people remain afraid of them.

**Depressionist: **… Hn'n.

Yes, that was very educational. Just so everyone can understand. Ghosts are people. Not "hn'n." There are too many theories explaining ghosts, and our authoresses would like to ask everyone a question.

**WHAT DO YOU THINK GHOSTS ARE?**

This piece of fiction outlines the basics of ghosts. It includes Yaoi, while also having its paranormal certainties. **Depressionist** means to warn people that there is **tons and tons** of strange things. Like JiraTen (which is thankfully NOT in this Fanfic), and another pairing, MinaMiko. MinaMiko is Minato Namikaze (Yodaime) and Mikoto Uchiha (Sasuke's mother). **Obsessionist** would like to remind people that there is nothing called fear. There is absolute orgasm-ness.

**This will most likely be 3-4 chapters. Enough to provoke yaoi and make Naruto and Sasuke realize their attraction to one another might not just be accidental. **

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[~;;;'|+|[]| Stage One |[]|+|';;;~] Life Goes On

_The feeling of losing someone is stronger than the feeling of gaining someone. Being tied to someone by force is also very much like the feeling mentioned before this one. So why don't I normally get this feeling? I'm nearly physically bound to Naruto, yet I haven't ever felt like this before. It's not desperation, or even anger. I feel completely neutral and angry. I stopped myself, didn't I? Then why was I being tied to Naruto like _he_ is my life support? I swear I will kill everyone who gets in my way of killing Itachi. Not even Naruto can compare to my anger now. Yes, I will not allow myself to be shipped off to this… this unknown location. It's preposterous to even consider doing this to me! But then… just thinking of how he's going to be near me. I was… I almost _killed_ him. What will he think of me now? I know we don't even have a friendship anymore… we're not even acquaintances. I… don't know what to think. Infact…_

Sasuke looked over at his rival once more, waiting for some reaction from him. Naruto didn't make a move, though. His blue eyes remained closed, as if he was thinking too much to realize someone was looking at him. Sasuke felt like shouting at him, snapping him out of that deep train of thoughts. But the glaze of Tsunade constantly on his back forced him to keep his eyes on the road ahead. There was no doubt that Naruto was just following Tsunade's orders because he was too loyal to her. He probably was uncomfortable with being near Sasuke too.

… _we're not even rivals anymore._

--

Naruto gently gripped his blue bag, slinging it over his shoulders. The building they stood before was fairly large. It was practically destroyed. There were chunks of wood lying dead all around. New life had sprouted around the building, though most of it was dead. The building itself had a dark gloomy aura surrounding it. There were no lights on inside, and a large mass of the building was practically destroyed.

_Namida ne nijinda kono sora wo miageru tabi_

_Hakanai aosa ga mune wo shimedzuketeku_

"This is the best place to keep _both_ of you," Tsunade quickly said, "It's the only place capable to housing the two of you and hiding you both from your pursuers." Both boys' looked over at her, each one glowering in question. "I mean… Orochimaru must be pursuing Sasuke now," Tsunade quickly said, "And Naruto… Akatsuki is looking for you." Sasuke's gaze turned more furious at the mention of that criminal organization. There was no denying he was still bitter about Itachi's sudden relapse to go after Naruto. Tsunade sighed heavily. _If only he knew _why_ Itachi was so adamant on chasing Naruto. _

"This is the only building in Konoha that no one, excluding myself and you two, knows about. It's history is untraceable, and I haven't been in here because the former owner would have wanted it to remain untouched," Tsunade continued, "My request is that you remain in a single room, the kitchen, and use the bathrooms. Don't go around touching anything." Both boys seemed to agree, because Naruto turned back to the building and gave it his look of approval. Tsunade was fond of Naruto. She'd seen him do so much that no one else had been capable of. She trusted him with her life. "And… please don't fight with each other. We can't come see you, and no one will exist but you two in that… destroyed world," Tsunade whispered, "I have to go… you two head inside with your belongings."

_Sadame nara kanashimi wo hate made_

_Tatakaitsudzuketa hibi wo ato ni_

"No… I can't go in there, Tsunade-baba."

Tsunade looked at Naruto, surprise running across her face. "Why not?" she asked. Naruto's gaze didn't flicker from the building, though his eyes grudgingly gave everything away. He didn't want to be anywhere near Sasuke. Tsunade should have guessed as much. But she had practically no choice in this. Naruto and Sasuke had to be put together in order to protect both boys from their pursuers. Naruto _had_ to understand that much. It was vital both powerhouses stay under one roof. "I'm sorry… this is an S-Rank mission that you _must_ obey," Tsunade quickly said, "Same with you, Uchiha. Won't your name look nice with an S-Rank mission on it? Don't you so _desperately _want to be the best ninja in the world?"

Tsunade was playing a dirty trick. She was giving this as a mission, despite knowing it was much more dangerous. She couldn't allow it to look dull or easy infront of these boys. With that, Tsunade turned around and began to walk back towards the village. She could feel Sasuke's heated glaze on her back, and Naruto's ever present, haunting glare on her neck. She had to do this. It was for the village, and for both boys.

_Life goes on moegaru_

_Inochi ga aru kagiri_

_Shinjitsu no jibun sae miushinaisou soredemo_

_May the spirit of that home guard them both._

--

Naruto's pace slowed down the moment he neared the large building. It was abnormally eerie. He'd always had this uncanny fear of spirits. The thought of a ghost appearing while he was asleep scared him mindlessly. This was, of course, a secret he kept only to himself. It would remain locked away in the backs of his mind. That's why he'd chosen a small apartment [but then again, he never did have much of a choice in homes]. He was soon standing before the door, staring at the oak door in silence. Somewhere behind him Sasuke was staring at him like he was an idiot. _I said I wouldn't talk to him anymore. So I won't._

_Life goes on mamoritakute_

_Kokoro wa kudakarete_

_Hontou no kanashimi wo shitta Hitomi wa_

_Ai ni afurete_

He almost forgot the house was abandoned and knocked on the front door. He could almost imagine Sasuke slapping his forehead and muttering idiot. _He's not my rival, or my friend. He's not even my enemy. He's just a complete stranger. _As if without warning, the door gave a slight creek. Naruto almost jumped out of his shoes. _Why the fuck is the _door_ moving?! _After reassuring himself its just a mouse, he opened the door. He placed a hand on the knob, about to turn it. And suddenly, something flash through his mind.

--

_The man turned the knob slowly, the deep golden hue covered in grim dirt smearing his tanned hands. His blue eyes focused on the door. When it came open, he smiles softly at the welcoming surroundings. He stepped in, kicking off his shoes first, and then taking off his coat. "It feels good to be home after so long", he said, excitedly. He then walked to the coat rack, dropping his coat on there, quite carelessly. The surroundings were well furnished. A living room with couches and an old fashioned record player. There were many paintings and pictures of himself and some others around the house. Everything was just so comforting._

_Fuyu ni saku hana ga kasumu keshiki irodoru_

"_tsuyosa wa yasashisa" sou utaikaketeru_

_He went straight up the stairs and into a large bedroom. In the center was a mahogany bed, covered in messy orange and blue blankets. He went first and pounced on his bed, falling on his face. A cheer emerged on his features, as everything blended into him. He then sat up, looking around the room curiously. "I'm hungry", he said. With that, he stood up and walked out of his room. Just before he reached the door, he looked back and smiled. "It feels good to be home… oh so good to be home", he said once more, before closing the door._

--

Naruto gasped before everything returned to his normal surroundings. He had, obviously, stopped at the door. That feeling of unfamiliarity hung around him. Though, after that strange vision, things seemed, unusually familiar. The doorknob, covered in dry dirt, and still, grimly, a golden hue. That familiarity hung so unusually around him. He turned the knob, in a strange way, and it slid open easily. He then opened the door and stared out at everything with unusual carefulness.

_Non no tame dare no tame ni kimi wa_

_Tatakaitsudzukeru no darou ima_

He stepped in and felt Sasuke trailing after him. His eyes scanned everything, very loosely. It was all so familiar, and yet so unfamiliar. There was a coat rack, standing there, as if waiting for a coat since so long. There was a living room clear nearby. It held three couches, each lined to face the record player. The room had changed a slight bit. It now held a large bump, and many pieces of the furniture were destroyed. The floor had been clawed at, and everything was nearly destroyed. The record player itself was destroyed.

He could see the stairs nearby. They were rich oak, and as wrecked as everything in the house. Yes, it was all exactly like in that vision. So familiar, but so unfamiliar. Naruto found it increasingly odd that he'd be seeing this. _Who was that man? Why am I seeing his surroundings? He must be the owner of this place! If I was seeing his life than… _A shudder escaped him. A ghost _is_ in this place! That was all it took for him to dash back outside the door and straight down the front steps. He then fell to his knees, clutching his head and, in a way, hiding from whatever he'd just thought of.

_Life goes on umarekawari_

_Itsushika deaeru nara_

_Koro ijou mou nido to ushinaitaku wa nai demo_

To say the truth, he was scared to death. He would NOT enter that house.

--

Sasuke blinked just about the time Naruto went zooming past him, out the house, down the front steps, and on the ground holding himself in a fatal position. If Sasuke didn't know any better, he'd have laughed. Never before had he seen Naruto this afraid. But this was _classical_. Naruto was shivering and holding himself like that the whole time through. _Tch… I'll leave him out here. That'll teach him… and give me more room to myself. _With that, he walked into the house, closing the door. The place was fairly destroyed. He'd never seen anything as bad as this.

_Maybe Itachi came and trashed this guy too._

_Life goes on kono toki ni_

_Umaretekita kagiri_

_Kono ude de kono mune de ima uketomeyou_

He had to pick out a room for himself. The stairs were his first thought. But after noticing how banged up they were, he'd need to take a new route. There was one way to do this. He'd learned to climb trees, so why not walls too? He took a deep breath and started walking towards the staircase. He then stepped onto the wall, quickly latching his chakra to it. He soon climbed up, without a problem, and began walking towards the top floor. As he came up, he found the house looking worse than the bottom floor. Many parts of the roof were falling apart, blocking many rooms and doors. There were only two rooms that were free to use, and they were beside each other. Sasuke took the one farthest from the stairs.

When he opened it, he first noticed the room was small. It held only a desk and a futon. There was some ruined furniture. Next to that, there was a frame lying half dented into the ground. He was about to go inspect, but he remembered Tsunade's request.

"_My request is that you remain in a single room, the kitchen, and use the bathrooms. Don't go around touching anything."_

He dropped his bag in a corner and walked towards his futon. Clearly, the owner of the house wasn't very neat. The owner probably lived alone too. Sasuke looked out the window one last time. _I'm going to take a nap. There's nothing else to do anyways._

Those were his last thoughts before he lay down on the futon and fell asleep, travelling into the unblissful world of his nightmarish reality.

--

Sasuke's eyes flickered open when he heard a knock at his window. Figuring that it was a branch, he ignored it at first. But it became more persistent. With a low scowl, he sat up and looked out at the window. Nothing there. He raised an eyebrow, expecting to see Naruto jokingly hanging there. And it suddenly occurred to him that Naruto wasn't even _in_ the house. _Don't tell me he's still out there… _He walked over to the window, peering outside. His room was facing the front of the house, meaning he could see Naruto, if indeed the blonde idiot was still outside.

And he was.

It was freezing cold outside, and Naruto was curled up in the same position outside. Sasuke didn't understand this sudden behavior. But it was clear that Naruto was scared out of his pants. _I could leave him out there. But then again, I'm not that cold hearted. _A part of him was softening. He had to bring Naruto in. He was human, and Naruto wouldn't be able to stay out for long. With that, he grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around himself, and quickly headed downstairs.

--

Sasuke was soon kneeling by Naruto, who was still shivering. It was obvious that Naruto was terrified beyond death. Sasuke had no idea on how to approach him. He felt that maybe he could _poke_ Naruto and get him to wake up. He lifted a finger and gently poked Naruto between his abdomen and waist. The boy opened one eye and looked over at him. Sasuke could clearly see fear in his blue eyes. _He's really scared… this is almost amusing._

_I can feel your heart in motion, deep down in your mind and passion_

_Life goes on and on, we love each other in the sadness of time _

"Staying out here won't get you that S-Rank money," Sasuke said. Naruto soon sat up and looked away from him. His blue gaze was directed to the large house. It was really just a ruined house. Sasuke didn't think of it as home. Home wasn't anywhere because Sasuke didn't feel at home near anyone or anything. It was just a house. A building with four walls and a roof. "Come inside," Sasuke repeated. Naruto didn't seem to catch his words. With a scowl, he pushed the boy. Naruto came tumbling onto his back, now staring at Sasuke.

"I-I'm not going back in there…"

_Life goes on moegaru_

_Inochi ga aru kagiri_

_Shinjitsu no jibun sae miushinaisou soredemo_

Sasuke scoffed. He was sleepy and annoyed. He had no time for Naruto's childishness. "It's a house. Get inside and cry in a room," he whispered, feverously. "I said I'm not gonna go back in", Naruto repeated. His voice was dry of emotion. Sasuke hadn't ever heard Naruto like this. It was a new concept. _Emotionless Naruto? When did this come about? _Once more, the guilt of his actions against Naruto returned. _He was my most important person, my rival and only friend. Why in all the world did I consider hurting him? _

He closed his eyes and sighed again. "What's making you so uncomfortable about that house?" he asked. Naruto kept his eyes on the house. He wasn't even looking at Sasuke. _He's distancing himself from you_, a distant voice in his mind said. _He doesn't even want you near him. _"It's none of your business. Leave me alone," Naruto said. That dry, crackly, emotionless tone was driving Sasuke mad. The way it just made him feel like he didn't know Naruto at all. It drove him to his limit.

"Stop behaving like an annoyance and get inside! Do you know how annoying it is to not hear your voice in my ear?!"

_Life goes on mamoritakute _

_Kokoro wa kudakarete_

_Hontou no kanashimi wo shitta Hitomi wa_

Naruto finally looked at him, though it was more shock than it was acknowledgement. Sasuke didn't even know why he had said what he had. Now he had to explain it to Naruto, or push Naruto back into a dark corner. Before he could answer, Naruto was already standing up. His trembling hand had lifted the blue bag lying on the ground. He was facing the direction of Konoha, not the house. "Where do you think you're going?" Sasuke demanded. Naruto kept looking at the village. It was almost unnatural. Naruto didn't question him, or even ask him what he was doing outside.

"I don't care about this S-Rank mission. I'd rather leave now than share homes with a complete stranger. _Sayonara, _Uchiha-san."

Sasuke scowled once more, grabbing Naruto's hand and holding him back. "Don't you dare call me a stranger and expect me to let you go. You _are_ staying in this house and completing this mission _with_ me. I need that S-Rank to be accepted again," Sasuke said. His teeth ground against each other, and he stared intensely at Naruto. Naruto didn't even move. His straightforward glaze remained on nothing. "Fine… but keep a fair distance between us, Uchiha-san," Naruto let out after a long pregnant pause. With that, Sasuke let go of Naruto's hand and stood up.

_There… that should do it. I lied quite a bit… but it'll keep him in the house._

The again, he noticed Naruto wasn't taking a step into the house. "What is it now?" Sasuke asked. "I-I'll go inside l-later?" Naruto suddenly stated. Sasuke sighed heavily. This was annoying. "What's really wrong? Is this about… about me… almost leaving?" he asked. Sasuke almost dreaded the answer Naruto would give him. Naruto was normally straightforward. If this was why Naruto was so afraid, of Sasuke trying to kill him again. _I can't blame him. If he tried to kill me… I'd be pretty let down too._

"N-no… I-I'm… I just don't like that place. Can't a guy not want to go in an abandoned building?"

Sasuke sighed. This was a lot of trouble. "No, I know that isn't it. What is it?" he repeated. Naruto looked at him once more. Sasuke was surer he was afraid of Sasuke now. _We're not rivals, enemies, or friends. Strangers… complete strangers. He doesn't even want to give me a second chance to redeem myself in his eyes…_

"I-I'm scared of ghosts…?"

--

He half expected Sasuke to laugh. Or to mock him. Naruto was terrified of ghosts. He didn't even know why he was telling Sasuke. His fear of ghosts was a deep secret he didn't normally tell anyone. _And anyways, I said I wouldn't forgive him. We're not even enemies anymore. We're strangers to each other. _Sasuke suddenly scratched the back of his head. He seemed strangely sincere for a moment. _As sincere as a traitor can get. _"I'm not sure if ghosts are real… but you'll be glad to know the only two rooms in the house that are open, are right beside each other," Sasuke said, dryly. "Just come inside… there aren't ghosts in the house."

"But there are! I-I… I-I swear", Naruto began. Suddenly, his mouth felt clamped shut. Like someone was holding a hand over his mouth. The words just wouldn't push their way through his mouth. Fear was coursing through him a second time. This house _was_ haunted. The former owner was haunting Naruto, and soon, he'll haunt Sasuke too. A ghost was trying to scare them off! Maybe even feed them to killer bacteria! With those words, Naruto let out the loudest scream he could, before diving headfirst for the ground.

_Ai ni afurete_

He was stopped, however, by Sasuke. A light blush fled to his cheeks. _Why is he still helping me? I thought he wants me dead. _There was always this feeling he had for Sasuke. Friendship, rivalry, importance; they all circled in between them. Naruto was trying so hard to erase those feelings. They were strangers; it was for the better. But here he was, being held back from running, by Sasuke himself.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Ugh… fine, _I'll_ drag you inside."


End file.
